What the Well-Dressed Host Will Wear

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Jun 21, 2013

In 1949, we printed Esquire's Handbook for Hosts, a guide to eating, drinking, and being merry with friends in your own home. Here, because being a good host is just as important today, we present an except. Read, learn, enjoy.

Granting you are a bachelor and not a hermit, that you are going to entertain pretty regularly in the apartment and not spend all of your time prowling after a pair of nylon legs, here are a few simple suggestions of what to wear when the friends come around for a few drinks. Wise ones will be as much concerned about their clothes as the amount of vermouth in the Martinis and the composition of the hors d'oeuvres.

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Get yourself in the right mood of playing host by climbing out of your business blues and into the shower. A quick once-over with the razor, a little lotion and you're ready to attack the wardrobe. The pleated chest shirt that shows studs and cuff links of black pearl or lapis lazuli is the one you want. With a turned-down collar, wear a butterfly-shaped tie in midnight blue.

Unless you've called in outside assistance, you're going to be doing a few chores, so keep coolness and comfort in mind and wear the lightweight worsted evening trousers of midnight blue with a single braid down each side. The word comfort has real meaning when you're wearing black ribbed nylon socks and patent leather or black suede pumps. The latter, with bright red linings, are gaining favor of late; they won't crack over the instep and they always look well-groomed after a brief brushing.

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There is about as much leeway in choice jackets as there is in liquors. Only a few are just right. Tops on the preferred jacket list is the double-chested type of dark maroon velveteen. A modern version of the smoking jacket, it has self-faced broad lapels and four buttons covered with the same fabric as that of the jacket. Some hosts like the same jacket in bright scarlet and others go for blue velvet or velveteen. The main idea is that the host should not only be dressed adequately but should be distinguishable from the rest of the guests who are put at ease by this home-only type of outfit.

If you are one who sticks to the tried and true, your double-chested dinner jacket of the same lightweight midnight blue fabric as the dress trousers is always in good taste. In fact, the lustrous satin lacings on the lapels will even give an added formal gleam to your appearance.

A boutonniere is an extra touch of style that doesn't take too much thinking. Wear a white carnation or other flower for the dark red jacket and a red carnation for the midnight blues.

Finally, unfold a white linen handkerchief and hold it at its center, allowing the points to hang irregularly. Fold it in half so that the center point falls just below the corner points and tuck it casually into the chest pocket with the center point side toward the body. One corner hanging out like a rabbit's ear or precise arrangement of the points is exactly what you don't want, so keep it casual.

When you don't feel like elbowing your way to a seat in Madison Square Garden, you'll probably have a group of friends over to watch the fights on television. Your clothes problem is simple on a night like this. Replace the suit jacket with a house coat of brocaded silk with satin covered shawl collar. In dark blue or maroon, this coat should be on complementary terms, colorwise, with the trousers and tie. A dark red or blue house coat combines nicely with the trousers of your grey or blue suit. With the dark red or maroon house coat, wear blue, grey or gold neckwear. Dark red, grey and gold ties go well with a blue house coat. If this was the day for the brown suit, brown and green are good coordinating colors.

Recently, hosts have also been wearing the television coat — a loose-fitting, finger-tip length garment with large pockets. It comes in figured foulard or lightweight flannel.

For a cocktail party, prior to a dinner out, a bachelor's business suit, in blue or grey, fills all the requirements. Wide-spread collars or tabs on your white shirt dictate the knot of a modestly patterned tie. The former takes a Windsor and the latter is best with a four-in-hand.

It is often a surprise to see just how well the friends look relatively early of a Sunday morning when they come up for brunch. While combining breakfast and lunch, it is also astute to combine the right casual, informal clothes. Assuming that you had enough sleep and have a reasonably clear head, you'll probably select a pair of the old reliable grey flannel slacks and a tweed sports jacket. An Oxford shirt, bow-tie or four-in-hand, and comfortable shoes like loafers or moccasins complete the brunch outfit for Autumn, Winter and Spring.

When the sun begins to spend most of its time on this side of the planet, especially during the very warm summery days, our bachelor friend will replace the light tweed jacket with a linen blazer; the flannel slacks will give way to lighter weight gabardine. Actually, you merely can wear a light sport shirt, a pair of slacks, and moccasins, and still be dressed correctly.

A final word: The objective behind all of this is not to make you into a fashion plate, but rather to give you an opportunity to be a distinctive host with a plate full of canapés in one hand and a fair lass on your arm, with not a single clothes-conscious moment. That's the point, gentlemen: dress your part.